Google Drive Desktop - Different modes of Syncing and Offline

 A bit of background first on Google Drive:

Google Drive have been in existence over many years. It's basically an online, browser based, file storage where you can drag-n-drop any files from your computer onto the webpage of Google Drive. Then there are specific Google office apps which are equivalents to Microsoft Office such as:

Docs (like Word)

Sheets (like Excel)

Slides (like Powerpoint)

.... and even better new apps like: Forms, Drawings, etc

Basically Google Drive allow you to have a file system / file storage plus working on some of those files online from a browser webpage.

Google Sync

Then came the little technology that allows us to install a component on our computer, which then automatically syncs between Google Drive and our computer. This means that we see the Google Drive files and folders on our computer, through File Explorer - as if those Google Drive files are on our computer. 

The reason for this blog is that the Google Sync technology has undergone a few iterations with new names and so creating some amount of confusion. Every few years coming back to this technology again, the name has changed. I may be mistaken, but I roughly remembered the earlier name as Google Sync -> then it became Backup and Sync -> now it became "Google Drive Desktop"

Google Drive Desktop

This post is about the new syncing technology called Google Drive Desktop (now that we are sort of clear on the history) and we won't mention the previous products from this point on.

Installation

Simply open your favourite browser and search engine and type: Google Drive Desktop

Then click on the results as shown below.

Installation Problems

It is worth mentioning a few of the installation problems I encountered which does not seem to have a specific or logical solution - but I managed to solve it and will share it here. 

The problem occurs after installing the Google Drive Desktop, the little icon in the taskbar is visible but nothing much else. There is a button or link to prompt us to sign in to our Google account or sign in to Google using the web browser or various other ways to prompt us to sign in to Google. But after signing in, still there are no options in the Google Drive Desktop taskbar icon except to sign-in. So I encountered this loop where I keep signing in and there are no results after that. Right click on the taskbar icon and select Preferences, and a window seems to pop up and disappear immediately. There is also a new icon on the desktop itself, and that also prompts us to sign-in, again repeated sign-in had no results.

You may also see the 'Success!' message below after each sign-in attempt, but we may still get nowhere, i.e the Google Drive files is still not showing in our local computer.

Here are a few things I tried that may in combination provided the solution:

- Restart your computer, perhaps do this two or three times.

- Definitely try signing in two or three or more times after each step.

- When there is an opportunity to sign-out, then completely sign-out of any Google accounts.

- Finally when there is an option to 'Disconnect' from Google Drive, then click Disconnect (this may appear in a smaller window)

Summary - keep on trying various things to sign-out, disconnect etc and signing in again until it works.

Installation Working

When the installation is successful, then in Windows File Explorer, it should show the Google Drive like this:

Syncing Warning

1. By default all files in MyDrive on Google Drive will be synced and appears in File Explore on the local computer

2. Deleting a file on the local computer, e.g. through File Explorer, will ALSO delete the file in the cloud Google Drive.

For my usage, I prefer NOT to sync everything between the Google Drive and my computer, so I prefer to choose which folders in Google Drive need to be synced to my computer.

The next section will discuss more on how to configure the other modes of syncing, and not deleting the files on the cloud when the local file is deleted.

"Set up offline access" - Right-click on the file or folder you want to make available for offline use. Next, choose "Available Offline" under the "offline access" menu.

Syncing with Offline access

Several modes are described here:  https://support.google.com/a/users/answer/9308619

Essentially with the offline access mode, we can work on the documents while temporarily not having internet connection. For example, this could be on a flight, in a park, in a coffee shop where we don't trust their public wifi, etc.

1. Working with non-Google files (ie not Docs, not Sheets, etc)

Assuming Google Drive for Desktop is installed, open the Google Drive folder. Select the file or folder to be accessed offline. Right-click on it, and select Drive File Streama and then Available offline.

2. Working with Google files (eg. Docs, Sheets, etc)

Install the Google Docs Offline extension. In Drive, click Settings, thenSettings.
Go to the Offline section, check the Create, open and edit your recent Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides files on this device while offline.
Right-click a file and turn on Available offline.

3. Working on mobile phones

On your mobile device, open the Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides app. Tap Menu and thenSettings. Turn on Make recent files available offline.

Syncing Mode Preferences

As shown below, there are at least 3 different syncing modes. To come to these options, right click on the Google Drive Desktop taskbar icon, then select Preferences.

1. Google Drive - My Drive - Stream files

The files are mostly in the cloud (not on our computer). But when we need to work on the files with no internet connection, we can make the files and folders available offline. See section above about working with offline files.

2. Google Drive - My Drive - Mirror files

The files are stored both in the cloud of Google Drive and also on the local computer. The files on the local computer are available to work with, even when there is no internet. There is no extra steps to make these files to be offline, since there is always an offline or local copy already.

3. My PC - This option allows us to select files or folders originally on our local computer already, to be stored / backed-up on the cloud. Click on the Add Folder button to select which existing local folders should be placed on the cloud.

When everything is working, opening the taskbar icon for Google Drive Desktop should show something like this:

Setting up a Secured Email Server

 This article is Work In Progress....

There are lots of good info on the web about setting up email servers. So this article will start with some links to those sites.

References:

https://helpdeskgeek.com/how-to/how-to-set-up-your-own-email-server/

Mail Server - it looks like the most popular on is 'hmailserver' - https://www.hmailserver.com/download/

Metaverse and the Bitcoin Blockchain CryptoCurrency

 Metaverse - What is it?

The metaverse has been around for a few decades in one way or another. However it is not until recently when Facebook chief - the Zuck - announced the new name Meta for his company that the Metaverse has come into heightened attention. Here are some definitions of the Metaverse typically found on Google search:

Wikipedia - "A metaverse is a network of 3D virtual worlds focused on social connection. In futurism and science fiction, the term is often described as a hypothetical iteration of the Internet as a single, universal virtual world that is facilitated by the use of virtual and augmented reality headsets"

Nvidia - "The metaverse is a shared virtual 3D world, or worlds, that are interactive, immersive, and collaborative. Just as the physical universe is a collection of worlds that are connected in space, the metaverse can be thought of as a bunch of worlds, too. Massive online social games, like battle royale juggernaut Fortnite and user-created virtual worlds like Minecraft and Roblox, reflect some ..."

Bybit - "Living, working and playing in an alternate reality requires funding, and that means cryptocurrency. Just as there are several metaverses to use, there are also multiple cryptocurrencies. Understanding the options, differences, and pros and cons f each one can help you make the best investment decision for your needs.

When I first encountered the hype about the Metaverse, it sounded very much like Virtual Reality (VR) - which was the big thing touted in the late 80s and early 90s. VR has not really taken off in the big way, although there are definitely some tangible benefits realised. Things like pilot training simulators and immersive technology certainly have their niches. There could even be a revival in the form of Google Glasses and the Oculus devices. Thinking a bit deeper, VR is usually associated with the technology that allows the  3D immersive experience. Although the implementation of the Metaverse is  also dependent on technology, the Metaverse is much more than about the 3D reality aspect - but it seems to encompass all aspects of the virtual world itself, including commerce, way of life and much more in this alternative metaverse.

The life and commercial aspect of the Metaverse is where cryptocurrency comes in. The quote by Bybit above says it precisely. What currency is better suited to a virtual meta world, then a virtual meta currency embodied by the cryptocurrency blockchain?

Here are some of the up and coming cryptocurrencies that may follow the development of the Metaverse:

ALIEN WORLDS (TLM)
Atari Token (ATRI)
Bloktopia (BLOK)
Boson Protocol (BOSON)
CEEK VR (CEEK)
Chromia (CHR)
CryptoPlanes (CPAN)
DEAPcoin (DEP)
Decentraland (MANA)
inSure DeFi (SURE)
IOTEX (IOTX)
METAHERO (HERO)
MINIGAME,
MRE
METAL
NJF
Polygon (MATIC)
Radio Caca (RACA)
RMRK (RMRK)
Sandbox (SAND)
Solana (SOL)
SQUID,
Starlink (STARL)
TERRA VIRTUA KOLECT (TVK)
Theta Network (THETA)
Torum (XTM)
UFO Gaming (UFO)
Verasity (VRA)
Victoria (VR)
Vulcan Forged (PYR)
WAX (WAXP)